Strap for wrist watches, etc.



' p 15, 1964 L. FELDMAN 3,148,810

.':STRAP FOR WRIST WATCHES, ETC.

Fii ed Nov. 18, 1960 IN V EN TOR.

Lazarezzq'e' [Elma H TTORNE YS United States Patent ()ffice 3,148,810 Patented Sept. 15, 1964 3,148,810 STRAP FGR WRIST WATCHES, ETC. Lawrence Feldman, Sidney Steele Watch Co., S.A., Balderas 90, Mexico City, Mexico Filed Nov. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 70,201 9 Claims. (Cl. 224-4) The present invention relates principally, but not exclusively, to new improvements in two-piece straps or wrist bands for wrist matches, characterized by the fact that each piece or band section is made of a single piece of strong, flexible, moldable material, such as plastic, and wherein one band section has, as an integral part thereof, a loop for the end of the other band section, the band section provided with the loop being further characterized by the fact that below the loop there is a rectangular opening which extends across substantially the entire width of the strap. The loop can be used to hold the free end of the band in place over the opening, or the free end can be passed through the opening into con tact with the wrist to more safely hold the watch in place by one pressure of the strap urging said free end against the wrist.

The present invention further contemplates a belt or strap construction wherein one end is provided with a hollow enlargement and the enlargement includes portions that extend laterally beyond the side edges of the belt or strap to render the same adjustable to suit buckles, wrist watches, etc., of varying dimensions, by removing excess material from said extensions.

The present invention still further contemplates application of the principles thereof to straps and belts for general use, such as in trouser belts, coat and dress belts, book straps, camera case straps, handbag straps, luggage straps, etc.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a strap or band construction that has general utility, and which can be economically made of any suitable moldable material.

Another object is to provide a strap or band that can be molded and ornamented to simulate various finishes by providing appropriate indentations in the mold.

A more specific object is to provide a comfortable, sanitary wrist watch strap that can be cleaned or washed without damage, and which is economical and long-lived.

Another object is to provide a strap or band that can be fitted to buckles, watches, etc., of varying sizes.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the perforated band section of a wrist watch strap;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the buckle-carrying band section of the strap, said band section being provided with an integral loop for receiving the free end of the cooperating band section of the strap;

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the complete strap showing the band sections interconnected by a buckle and with the perforated portion of one of the sections extending beneath the loop of the other band section;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, particularly showing the details of the loop and the opening in the band section below the loop;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional View through the loop taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing a notch at the end of one band section, together with a tongue and buckle adapted to be connected to the band section; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of a wrist watch, buckle, or other member, and a modified form of band section adapted to be connected thereto, said band section including graduated extensions projecting laterally from a hollow enlargement at one end of said band section.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate a strap for use with a conventional wrist Watch. The strap comprises two band sections numbered 1 and 2, respectively, preferably made of tough, flexible, moldable material, such as plastic or the like, and which is waterproof so that it can bewashed. The sections 1 and 2 are adapted to be connected together by a conventional tongue-type buckle 3, as shown in FIG. 3.

The band section 1 is provided with a tubular, pinreceiving enlargement 4 at one end thereof, adapted to be connected to a wrist watch in a well-known manner by a conventional pushpin, not shown. The band section 1 is also provided with a series of punched holes 5 arranged in a row extending lengthwise. The band section 1 decreases in width from the enlargement 4 and terminates in a rounded tip 6.

The band section 2 is of uniform width and has a tubular pin-receiving enlargement 7 at one end thereof and a hollow buckle-receiving enlargement 8 at its oppo- Site end. The enlargement 8 is intersected by a transverse notch 9, FIG. 6, adapted to receive a tongue 10 comprising an element of the buckle 3. The notch 9 extends entirely across the enlargement 8 and slightly into the body of the band. The notch 9 can be formed during the molding operation, or be cut after molding. The buckle 3 has leg portions 11 and 12 that are received in the opening in the enlargement 8, the leg 12 being longer than the leg 11 and extending across the notch 9 to serve as a pivot for the tongue 10, as is shown in FIG. 2. The tongue 10 is engageable in a selected opening 5, as shown in FIG. 3 to fasten the band sections together.

In assembling the buckle 3 and tongue 10 with the tubular enlargement 8, the leg 11 may be bent away from the leg 12 and the leg 12 inserted into one end of the opening in said enlargement. The tongue 10 isvpositioned in the notch 9, and the end of the leg 12 passed therethrough and across said notch. The leg 11 is next inserted into the opposite end of said opening and bent toward the leg 12 to complete the mounting of the buckle 3 on the band section 2.

The band section 2 has an integral loop 13 designed so that it can be conveniently formed during the molding of the band section 2. The loop 13 includes a generally rectangular transverse portion 14 disposed in a plane parallel with, but spaced from the main body portion of the band section 2. The loop 13 also includes upright end walls 15 and 16 that lie flush with and along the opposite parallel edges of the body of the band section 2. The end walls 15 and 16 extends lengthwise of the band section 2 from a point adjacent the tubular enlargement 8. It will be noted from FIGS. 3 and 4 that the overall length of the end walls 15 and 16 is about three times the width of the transverse portion 14. The walls 15 and 16 are actually in the form of truncated triangles so that their upper edge portions are inclined upwardly toward each other on opposite sides of the loop portion 13, as is best shown in FIG. 4. The end walls 15 and 16 thus stiffen the band section 2 in the region of the loop and cooperate to provide a space 17 to receive and retain the free end of the band section 1, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The body portion of the band section 2 has an opening 18 extending therethrough which is located directly below the transverse loop portion 13 and is of substantially the same width as the loop portion 13, although said opening has been shown of slightly greater width in FIGS. 2 and 3 to clarify illustration. The opening 18 facilitates molding of the loop 13 in a die (not shown) and also provides a passageway through which the free end of the band section 1 may be passed, should it be desired to effect a more areasro secure retention by having said free end underlie the band section 2 and be held in direct contact with the wrist of the wearer by the tightness of the strap.

FIG. 7 illustrates a modified form of the invention in which a band section 2.0 has a tubular enlargement 21 at one end thereof provided with a notch 29, similar to the notch 9. The enlargement 21 includes extensions 22 projecting beyond the opposite side edges of the band section 20. The extensions 22 are each provided with a series of equally spaced graduations 23 to enable equal portions of excess material to be cut from the respective extensions in fitting the end of the band between lugs 24 on a Wrist watch, belt buckle, or other member 25, having pin-receiving openings 26. The advantage of the extended portions 22 is that they enable the band to be connected with various members wherein the distance X between the lugs 24- having the pin-receiving openings 26 varies.

The band sections 1, 2 and 29 may be provided with any desired surface ornamentation 2.7 throughout their entire area to simulate various leather grains, such as pigskin, ostrich skin, etc., by providing appropriate indentations in the mold (not shown).

While the present invention has been described principally in connection with a band for a wrist watch, it is to be understood that the principles of design of the band are applicable to trouser belts, coat and dress belts, book straps, etc. It is conceivable, therefore, that numerous variations may be evolved embodying the principles of the invention, without departing from the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A waterproof strap for a wrist watch, comprising: two flexible band sections made of plastic material, one band section having an integral tubularpin-receiving enlargement at one end thereof for attaching the same to a wrist Watch, the other of said band sections having an integral tubular pin-receiving enlargement at one end thereof for attaching the same to said wrist watch and having an integral tubular enlargement at the opposite end thereof for attaching the same to a tongue-type buckle, said last-mentioned tubular enlargement having a notch extending transversely therethrough to receive the tongue of said buckle, said other band section also having an integral loop including a horizontal, transversely extending portion and vertical end walls at each end thereof arranged substantially fiush with the side edges of said other band section, said end walls spacing said transverse portion from said other band section to provide a space to receive the other end of said one band section, said other band section having an opening extending therethrough below the transverse portion of the loop, and the other end of said one band section being of less width than said opening, whereby the other end of said one band section may be optionally extended through said opening.

2. An elongated, one-piece, flexible strap having generally parallel side edges, and being provided with an integral loop near one end thereof, said loop comprising a horizontal portion extending transversely of said strap and having a vertical end wall at each end thereof arranged substantially perpendicular to the side edges of said strap and occupying only a minor portion of the length of said strap, said end walls spacing said trans verse portion from the plane of said strap, and said strap having an opening extending therethrough below the transverse portion and between the end walls of the loop, said opening being defined by sides formed by transverse edges of said strap and by ends formed by said end walls, the size or said opening being substantially coextensive with the size of the transverse portion of the loop disposed between said end walls, said opening being provided to optionally receive a cooperating strap end of less width than said opening.

3. A strap as defined in claim 2, having a hollow integral, pin-receiving enlargement at one end thereof and wherein the loop is located adjacent said enlargement.

4. A strap as defined in claim 3, in which a hollow, integral enlargement is also provided at the other end of the strap.

5. A strap as defined in claim 2, in which said opening is generally rectangular.

6. A strap as defined in claim 2 in which each of the end walls of the loop is in the general shape of a truncated triangle with the base of the trian le adjacent the strap.

7. A strap as defined in claim 6, in which the dimension of the base portion of the truncated end walls of the loop considered lengthwise of the strap is about three times as great as the corresponding dimension of the transverse portion of the loop.

8. A strap as defined in claim 2, wherein said strap has an integral, continuous tubular pin-receiving enlargement at one end thereof, said pin-receiving enlargement including removable portions extending laterally beyond the opposite side edges of said body.

9. A strap as defined in claim 8, wherein each of the laterally extending portions of the pin-receiving enlargement is provided with equally spaced markings therealong to facilitate removing equal portions of material from each extension to suit the distance between pin-receiving openings on a member to which the strap is to be connected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 281,870 Hartson July 24, 1883 545,447 Bringharn Sept. 3, 189-5 2,358,990 Maxwell Sept. 26, 1944 2,400,594 Nienaber May 21, 1946 2,466,741 Roehrl Apr. 12, 1949 2,947,455 Straub Aug. 2, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 217,299 Switzerland July 16, 1942 423,982 Italy Aug. 1, 1947 466,202 Canada June 27, 1950 718,854 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1954 

1. A WATERPROOF STRAP FOR A WRIST WATCH, COMPRISING: TWO FLEXIBLE BAND SECTIONS MADE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, ONE BAND SECTION HAVING AN INTEGRAL TUBULAR PIN-RECEIVING ENLARGEMENT AT ONE END THEREOF FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO A WRIST WATCH, THE OTHER OF SAID BAND SECTIONS HAVING AN INTEGRAL TUBULAR PIN-RECEIVING ENLARGEMENT AT ONE END THEREOF FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO SAID WRIST WATCH AND HAVING AN INTEGRAL TUBULAR ENLARGEMENT AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF FOR ATTACHING THE SAME TO A TONGUE-TYPE BUCKLE, SAID LAST-MENTIONED TUBULAR ENLARGEMENT HAVING A NOTCH EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THERETHROUGH TO RECEIVE THE TONGUE OF SAID BUCKLE, SAID OTHER BAND SECTION ALSO HAVING AN INTEGRAL LOOP INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL, TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PORTION AND VERTICAL END WALLS AT EACH END THEREOF ARRANGED SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID OTHER BAND SECTION, SAID END WALLS SPACING SAID TRANSVERSE PORTION FROM SAID OTHER BAND SECTION TO PROVIDE A SPACE TO RECEIVE THE OTHER END OF SAID ONE BAND SECTION, SAID OTHER BAND SECTION HAVING AN OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH BELOW THE TRANSVERSE PORTION OF THE LOOP, AND THE OTHER END OF SAID ONE BAND SECTION BEING OF LESS WIDTH THAN SAID OPENING, WHEREBY THE OTHER END OF SAID ONE BAND THAN SAID OPENING, WHEREBY THE OTHER END OF SAID ONE BAND SECTION MAY BE OPTIONALLY EXTENDED THROUGH SAID OPENING. 